Old School Bike Companies

[autoduel]

Cool cranks back then Topline, Bullseye one piece, McMahon Racing, Morati Ti, Boone twist, Coda/Magic Motorcycle, Cooks F-cranks. Kooka cranks looked cool and were light, but the unramped rings sucked! Caramba had a good idea and paved the way for the shimano hollowtech cranks. I'm still running the grafton joystix I bought in 1993 on my Rhygin 1X9.
Hub manufacturers I remember were the Kinetic Psykolz, Machine tech, Real, The nuke proof carbons were cool, white industries Ti, Ringle had their supension hub with an elastomer isolated axle. I still have one of the Real Racing alumium cassettes as a paper weight. Paul components had their very cool one-off looking derailleurs. I remember when crank brothers started their business making water bottle cages and tire levers. Onza porcupine tires! Campy had a mountain grouppo going. Sun-mistral rims, trek singletrack, Deetz rims, spline drive nipples (if anyone had a lead for a wrench, I need one). Parkpre ti-plated 853 frames.
There were companies that made fork upgrades like MRD crowns and arches, AC, Englund Air Cartridges. Answer taperlite and hyperlite bars, scott at-3 & 4 bars, Carmichael derailleur pulleys, The Mantis flying-V was my dream bike for the longest time. My wife is still riding her proflex 856 althought its components are updated.
I also wore a "100% white cotton t-shirt complements of Miyata" until my wife made me throw it out a month ago.

[.8down]

Originally Posted by allroy71

Mantis Cycles, Dia Compe, Hutch, ?Skyway Tuff Wheels. I still have an old AMP Frame with ProForx on it.

I remember hutch for some reason I really wanted one but ended up getting a mongoose.

[jeffj]

Several years ago, my son was playing travel basketball and my wife would take him to practices and games while I was coaching our daughter in soccer. She started telling me about her friend Connie's husband who had come to a few games and that I should come to a game and meet him since he "designed" mtb parts.

Thoughts of trail bells, streamers and crappy seats raced through my mind and I kept making excuses for not going as I had no interest in meeting him. After repeated attempts to get me to meet him, she called me one afternoon from their house where they were having a B'day party for their son and said you have to come over and meet Dan and his friend Brian. I had no excuse not to go so I reluctantly dressed and went over to the party.

It turns out to be Dan Soltelo (founder of Onza) and Brian Skinner (first guy to run rear suspension on the Kamikaze DH).

Yes, I felt like a

[Break n Bones]

Speed Metal - winged anvil

Super-go



How about

The Mantis - Mud Bike

[guero]

Cycle Pro
Torker
Powerlite
P.K. Ripper (p.k. was a rep for giant a couple years back)
Free Agent

[RacinJason]

OH gosh I haven't heard of any of those Ha Ha
I had a Race Incorporated and a FMF and a Webco and a CW.
Now I can see where my bike fetish comes from.
I have spent to many years Messing with bikes. I know this because I am having flash backs of going to John Graftons House then heading over to Cook brothers to pick up a micro drive spider Both where out of a garage kind of thing.
I miss the Grafton joy stix and the speed play brakes. I think that they had the coolest stuff for that time. Kooka was cool but bulky. I had Bullseye cranks also but the spacing was a pain and the paint would rub off and they would rust. Other than that they where ahead of the industry as far as the large splined spindle. Remember when everyone had to have Onza bar ends. Ha Ha 7 speed was the norm and 8 speed was amazing 9 speed was unheard of. I remember walking into the bike beat wanting Jays Mantis Pro floater and it being to small. It had gold metal flake. Jay was cool he was the orig owner. Now I know where I got the metal flake fetish from thanks Jay.
If you remember all the cool products from Bike Beat well lets just say here at Chumba we have a museum of parts and preproduction parts. Bike beat was the testing ground for the beginning of Mountain Bike Action.
That is why Chumba has has so much influence on the racing circuit and the best RD in the industry.

This history lesson is brought to you by the letter J

I know I have seen a lot of you from back in the day . I just suck at names.
So if you remember me hit me up. There is a good chance I recognized you but could not remember your name.

[sladnas]

Originally Posted by guero

Cycle Pro
Torker
Powerlite
P.K. Ripper (p.k. was a rep for giant a couple years back)
Free Agent

I had a couple Torkers in my garage...fun bikes.

[kanga]

ActionTec... I still have their original 2" fork on my old Curtlo HT.